Wait, you guys have Aldi? Weird, for some reason I thought they only existed in Germany.

We have one near us that opened years ago and I was going to check it out until I heard about the bag thing. No interest.

You're more than welcome to bring your own reusable bags, or, like Shadow Ninja said, grab some of the empty boxes/cases around the store as things sell down. I usually just throw my stuff straight in the trunk without any bags.

Sorry, I do not feel the need to escort my carriage to the nearest corral. I leave it behind my car and I make sure it does not roll.

Instead of getting upset, I need to ask: what possesses you to do this? Why not just go put the cart away? Are you in that much of a hurry?

I'm being a douche in the thread tonight, but in real life, I am a very reasonable person who makes their living working as a major chain supermarket, being a Store Manager for 16 years before stepping down to a Grocery Department Manager position to accommodate a special needs child. But those carts are there to cut down the store's liability. They tell you it helps keep prices low, but that's BS. So now we are shamed as being uncivilized if we don't walk the cart to the coral. I feel like I've spent my money at the store. If I leave the cart behind my car, not in a space, but in some kind of median, making sure it will not roll into someone else's car, then I'm good. Being in a hurry never has anything to do with it.

But those carts are there to cut down the store's liability. They tell you it helps keep prices low, but that's BS.

What liability do you mean? Carts damaging cars? Or when they're out $40k because their part-time cart pusher slips on the ice, tears up his shoulder, and can't work his day job for months? Aside from a few random threats that didn't amount to anything, I never had any issue with the former, though I did experience the latter when I was a big box manager.

Sorry, I do not feel the need to escort my carriage to the nearest corral. I leave it behind my car and I make sure it does not roll.

Instead of getting upset, I need to ask: what possesses you to do this? Why not just go put the cart away? Are you in that much of a hurry?

I'm being a douche in the thread tonight, but in real life, I am a very reasonable person who makes their living working as a major chain supermarket, being a Store Manager for 16 years before stepping down to a Grocery Department Manager position to accommodate a special needs child. But those carts are there to cut down the store's liability. They tell you it helps keep prices low, but that's BS. So now we are shamed as being uncivilized if we don't walk the cart to the coral. I feel like I've spent my money at the store. If I leave the cart behind my car, not in a space, but in some kind of median, making sure it will not roll into someone else's car, then I'm good. Being in a hurry never has anything to do with it.

Well I'd beg to differ on the laziness end of it because it takes 20 seconds to shove the cart in the corral and walk back. And just because someone makes sure the cart isn't moving when they leave it whereever doesn't mean the wind blowing it or some vehicle bumping it won't cause an issue in the near future. It's just such a common sense thing in my mind that I can't wrap my head around any of the excuses of not putting your damn cart away.

It's just such a common sense thing in my mind that I can't wrap my head around any of the excuses of not putting your damn cart away.

That's ok Orcus. It's just not MY carriage to put away. It's not MY responsibility to put it anywhere. Maybe I'm being a stubborn old fogey. Not sure how old you are, but I remember when there were no corals. They are only there for stores to cover their asses and to cut down on labor costs to have the customers, by each one bringing them to a coral, gather the carriages by themselves. As a customer, I resent that.

By the way, I am in no way trying to be dismissive of your viewpoint, TAC. I have plenty of experience in the retail world, and I get what you're saying. I understand the more service-oriented mindset and why some prefer that.

It's probably largely because I spent years working retail, though, that my attitude (particularly with grocery shopping) is basically, "take my money and get the hell out of my way." I just don't want to be there. I go in, grab my stuff quickly, and I want to check out quickly, with minimal delays and interactions. ALDI is good for that, and I appreciate the low prices they can deliver. And in any other store, I'm a self-checkout guy, unless I have short-dated items where the price reduction needs to be hand keyed by an associate. I don't really care to have someone bag my items for me or take care of my cart, because I can do it quickly by myself.

By the way, I am in no way trying to be dismissive of your viewpoint, TAC. I have plenty of experience in the retail world, and I get what you're saying. I understand the more service-oriented mindset and why some prefer that.

It's probably largely because I spent years working retail, though, that my attitude (particularly with grocery shopping) is basically, "take my money and get the hell out of my way." I just don't want to be there. I go in, grab my stuff quickly, and I want to check out quickly, with minimal delays and interactions. ALDI is good for that, and I appreciate the low prices they can deliver. And in any other store, I'm a self-checkout guy, unless I have short-dated items where the price reduction needs to be hand keyed by an associate. I don't really care to have someone bag my items for me or take care of my cart, because I can do it quickly by myself.

All cool.

I'm always mindful of the customers who it is clear that shopping is the last thing they want to be doing. It's important to know when to give, and when to pull back. It's really what makes each day different and exciting.

I think it common courtesy to put them in the coral for the reason of not having that cart hit another car. I get what Tim as a manager of a grocery store he feels it's the store's responsibility to take care of that.

Unfortunately, I've seen too many carts left to their own accord out there.

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Yeah, we were always more mindful of collecting the carts if the winds were high when I worked big box. Sometimes you're just too late, though. Those things can really move if the wind hits them in the right direction.

I think it common courtesy to put them in the coral for the reason of not having that cart hit another car. I get what Tim as a manager of a grocery store he feels it's the store's responsibility to take care of that.

Unfortunately, I've seen too many carts left to their own accord out there.

As a manager, I want them returned to the coral. As a customer, I resent the store's expectation that I do so. And I'm not saying Orcus' "common sense" reasoning is wrong. These days, it's accepted, even expected that people will and should return them. But like I said, as a customer, I resent it. Perhaps it lacks decency, but I promise, it'll be the least decent thing I do all day!

Aldi is awesome. Takes a little getting used to, but the prices are soooo much lower than anywhere else around me that I'll put up with it. They're prices generally beat the sale prices at my other local grocery stores. And their cashiers move through your stuff like lightning. Other store cashiers seems like molasses by comparison. I'm not willing to pay extra for services I'm willing to do myself, like bagging, returning carts, etc.

I get bored of Aldi's limited range and the speed the cashiers process your stuff and then you feel like a twat trying to get it in your bag in triple time 'cause people are watching you and waiting...

But yeah - take your own bags and keep a £1 coin just for the trolleys / cart. My grandad keeps it in the cup holder in the car. No probs.

I saw a funny thing online..." How to get around the 5p carrier bag charge.....Take your own bags!! "

I think it common courtesy to put them in the coral for the reason of not having that cart hit another car. I get what Tim as a manager of a grocery store he feels it's the store's responsibility to take care of that.

Unfortunately, I've seen too many carts left to their own accord out there.

As a manager, I want them returned to the coral. As a customer, I resent the store's expectation that I do so. And I'm not saying Orcus' "common sense" reasoning is wrong. These days, it's accepted, even expected that people will and should return them. But like I said, as a customer, I resent it. Perhaps it lacks decency, but I promise, it'll be the least decent thing I do all day!

You might be the first person I've heard say that. As a customer I have never had the thought that it was up to the store to clean up after me whenever I'm done unloading my bags. I'd understand it if someone from the store was following me and immediately taking the cart away but until the cart collectors do their rounds who knows what will happen to that cart in the meantime? I've seen carts that have rolled or been left in the middle of the aisles so you'd either have to drive carefully around them or stop the car, get out, and move it out of the way.

As someone who spent significant time in college working for a grocery store and whose dad was a grocery store manager for 40 years, I find TAC's attitude against cart corrals completely mystifying and, like orcus, I can simply not wrap my head around it.

Sorry, I do not feel the need to escort my carriage to the nearest corral. I leave it behind my car and I make sure it does not roll.

Instead of getting upset, I need to ask: what possesses you to do this? Why not just go put the cart away? Are you in that much of a hurry?

I'm being a douche in the thread tonight, but in real life, I am a very reasonable person who makes their living working as a major chain supermarket, being a Store Manager for 16 years before stepping down to a Grocery Department Manager position to accommodate a special needs child. But those carts are there to cut down the store's liability. They tell you it helps keep prices low, but that's BS. So now we are shamed as being uncivilized if we don't walk the cart to the coral. I feel like I've spent my money at the store. If I leave the cart behind my car, not in a space, but in some kind of median, making sure it will not roll into someone else's car, then I'm good. Being in a hurry never has anything to do with it.

Well I'd beg to differ on the laziness end of it because it takes 20 seconds to shove the cart in the corral and walk back. And just because someone makes sure the cart isn't moving when they leave it whereever doesn't mean the wind blowing it or some vehicle bumping it won't cause an issue in the near future. It's just such a common sense thing in my mind that I can't wrap my head around any of the excuses of not putting your damn cart away.

I don't know about "common sense" (what many people dismiss as "common sense" is mystifying to me) but I am old enough to remember that the alternative to the coral wasn't "leaving it wherever you please", it was walking it back to the store. The carts were a convenience to the customer, and as is usual when someone let's you borrow something, you return it when you're done. I'm not perfect in this regard, but eight and a half times out of ten, I'll bring the cart to the coral, or, if it's closer, to the store itself.

I typically bring my car to the coral. Very rarely do I leave it safely close to the car. I mostly just get so annoyed when I pull into a parking spot and realize I can't park there cause someone didn't return their cart. My friend likes to bring it back to the store, but I never do that because there usually is someone who is paid to do that and I have no interest in stealing their job.

I typically bring my car to the coral. Very rarely do I leave it safely close to the car. I mostly just get so annoyed when I pull into a parking spot and realize I can't park there cause someone didn't return their cart. My friend likes to bring it back to the store, but I never do that because there usually is someone who is paid to do that and I have no interest in stealing their job.

Idk. I think there's a line with that. I guess technically, yes, someone is paid to do that, but there isn't a job title that is solely "coral emptier". I mean, a janitor gets paid to clean up my piss if I decide to use the wall/floor instead of the urinal. Using the the urinal rather than the wall will not result in a janitor having his/her job stolen.

I typically bring my car to the coral. Very rarely do I leave it safely close to the car. I mostly just get so annoyed when I pull into a parking spot and realize I can't park there cause someone didn't return their cart. My friend likes to bring it back to the store, but I never do that because there usually is someone who is paid to do that and I have no interest in stealing their job.

Idk. I think there's a line with that. I guess technically, yes, someone is paid to do that, but there isn't a job title that is solely "coral emptier". I mean, a janitor gets paid to clean up my piss if I decide to use the wall/floor instead of the urinal. Using the the urinal rather than the wall will not result in a janitor having his/her job stolen.

I don't know, typically the stores by me hire someone who is challenged to do this. It's good for the community to provide these jobs. The guy at my local supermarket is super friendly, maybe too friendly and it keeps him busy.

I typically bring my car to the coral. Very rarely do I leave it safely close to the car. I mostly just get so annoyed when I pull into a parking spot and realize I can't park there cause someone didn't return their cart. My friend likes to bring it back to the store, but I never do that because there usually is someone who is paid to do that and I have no interest in stealing their job.

Idk. I think there's a line with that. I guess technically, yes, someone is paid to do that, but there isn't a job title that is solely "coral emptier". I mean, a janitor gets paid to clean up my piss if I decide to use the wall/floor instead of the urinal. Using the the urinal rather than the wall will not result in a janitor having his/her job stolen.

I don't know, typically the stores by me hire someone who is challenged to do this. It's good for the community to provide these jobs. The guy at my local supermarket is super friendly, maybe too friendly and it keeps him busy.

We had them too, but they'd bag and block as well. Some would be dishwashers.

Sorry, I do not feel the need to escort my carriage to the nearest corral. I leave it behind my car and I make sure it does not roll.

Instead of getting upset, I need to ask: what possesses you to do this? Why not just go put the cart away? Are you in that much of a hurry?

I'm being a douche in the thread tonight, but in real life, I am a very reasonable person who makes their living working as a major chain supermarket, being a Store Manager for 16 years before stepping down to a Grocery Department Manager position to accommodate a special needs child. But those carts are there to cut down the store's liability. They tell you it helps keep prices low, but that's BS. So now we are shamed as being uncivilized if we don't walk the cart to the coral. I feel like I've spent my money at the store. If I leave the cart behind my car, not in a space, but in some kind of median, making sure it will not roll into someone else's car, then I'm good. Being in a hurry never has anything to do with it.

Well I'd beg to differ on the laziness end of it because it takes 20 seconds to shove the cart in the corral and walk back. And just because someone makes sure the cart isn't moving when they leave it whereever doesn't mean the wind blowing it or some vehicle bumping it won't cause an issue in the near future. It's just such a common sense thing in my mind that I can't wrap my head around any of the excuses of not putting your damn cart away.

I don't know about "common sense" (what many people dismiss as "common sense" is mystifying to me) but I am old enough to remember that the alternative to the coral wasn't "leaving it wherever you please", it was walking it back to the store. The carts were a convenience to the customer, and as is usual when someone let's you borrow something, you return it when you're done. I'm not perfect in this regard, but eight and a half times out of ten, I'll bring the cart to the coral, or, if it's closer, to the store itself.

I think I used the word "sense" in place of "courtesy" but in reality I'd lend it more to sense because I expect that someone should think about more the consequences of what they're doing since it's not an act of kindness that you're returning your cart but more a thought of "hey this is a rolling metal thing that can damage vehicles". Anything more is a sign of laziness which leads to complacency which leads to obliviousness, the latter of which is what I consider one of the most frightening things in terms of how people act in public.